A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heating apparatus and in particular to heating apparatus which employs a gas turbine-like structure or an actual gas turbine used to generate heat and propel heating air to remote areas.
B. Prior Art
In the known art, a gas turbine has been used as a source of power and in such applications the air introduced into the combustion chamber is quite in excess of the amount needed for stoichiometric conditions. Excess air as high as 400% is often a characteristic of gas turbines used for production of power. In such applications, it is desired to reduce heat losses because they subtract from the power output. Thus, conventional gas turbines have not been operated so as to maximize the production of heat rather than power, the two being mutually subtractive.
Conventional heating systems such as oil burners are known in which a first electrically-driven blower is used in the production of the heating oil flame and a second electrically-driven fan is used to propel the air heated by the flame through the ducts to the regions to be heated. There is a substantial need for a self-contained heating apparatus which does not require, in addition to the fuel to be burned, another source of energy such as electricity to propel the heated air to remote points. Even where it is not desired to have a self-powered unit, the high temperatures and high heat transfer coefficients in the combustion chambers of gas turbines or structures similar thereto make them advantageous as sources of heat.